Vusumuzi Dube
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
FORMER Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Terrence Mukupe has been convicted of importing 138 979 litres of diesel without paying duty.
Mukupe was convicted with three other accused persons, namely; Same Kapisoriso, Joseph Taderera and Leonard Mudzuto.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority revealed that the quartet on 27 January 2017 imported the fuel at Forbes Boarder Post in Mutare.
“The accused persons misrepresented that the diesel was going to be offloaded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Pursuant to their plan, they replaced the diesel with water in Zimbabwe. The matter came to light on the 30 of January 2017 when officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) intercepted them at Chirundu One Stop Boarder Post to verify the nature of the goods they were carrying,” reads the statement
In committing the offence, the four accused persons prejudiced the State of revenue amounting to US$55 591-60.
They have been remanded in custody pending sentence on 9 November 2023 at the Harare High Court
Bongani Ndlovu